Even though I forgot to marinate the chicken overnight, the dish still turned out well. It was slightly spicy and slightly sweet. I substituted the red rose potatoes with yukon gold potatoes (what I had in the pantry), as well as the Korean red chili powder with 1 tbsp cayenne. I added 1 extra tbsp of gochujang to thicken the sauce and increase the flavor (since I forgot the overnight marinade). After the 5-minute fry, the recipe didn't say what to lower the temperature to. I found that 45 minutes on medium heat (or possibly even lower) was sufficient.
Korean Spicy Braised Chicken adapted from Week of Menus
Yield: Serves 6-8
INGREDIENTS
3 to 4 lbs skinless, bone-IN chicken thighs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup Korean red pepper chili paste (gochujahng 고추장)
1 tbsp cayenne
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1/2 cup pureed onion
3 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 onion, cut into large 1 inch pieces
3 to 4 red rose potatoes, cut into 2 inch chunks
1/2 to 1 cup water (as needed)
3 scallions, cut into 2 inch pieces
Sesame seeds for garnish
DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, mix together sugar, red pepper chili pepper paste, cayenne, soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and pureed onion. Mix well. Add chicken and mix until all chicken pieces are coated. Add carrots and onions and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until needed, at least 2 hours, but up to overnight.
Heat a large pan over medium high heat. Add marinated chicken and vegetables and stir, cooking until the marinade is fragrant, about 5 minutes. Top with potatoes and pour 1/2 a cup of water over chicken and cover, reducing heat to medium (on the low side). Check chicken after 15 minutes to make sure there is enough water, and add 1/4 cup of necessary. You do NOT want to add too much water because the vegetables and the chicken all release juices and a too watery base is not ideal. Cook for 45 minutes total, stirring occasionally and checking to make sure there is enough water and just adding a little bit at a time.
Once chicken is fully cooked and potatoes are tender, add scallion pieces and toss. Sprinkle with sesame seeds as a garnish. Serve hot with fresh rice.